We count on our cars to get us from point A to point B, but not only that. For many of us, we keep many personal items in our cars, and if we drive fairly often or if have a long commute to work, our car becomes a comfortable place where we feel safe and at home.

Having your car stolen has to be one of the most devastating things that can happen. Sure, you can file a report with the police, but if you’re the take-charge type, it can be hard to sit back, relax and hope they find your car.

Danielle Reno was the wrong person to mess with. When her car was stolen, she filed a report with the police, but she certainly did not wait around for them to find her car. She found her car herself and led the police directly to the thief. Watch the video below for details on this story.

 

Reno is the founder of a pet rescue service called Unleashed Pet Rescue and Adoption. She is proficient at finding dogs who run away or get lost, so when her car was stolen, she figured she could use her know-how to track down the thief just like she’d track down a missing pet.

On July 10th, Reno posted on Facebook that her car was stolen from a Quick Trip in Missouri. She actually saw the woman steal her car and drive away. Among other things, her iPhone and wallet were in the car.

Reno used her iPad to update Facebook with live videos as she researched the trail the thief left behind, tracking her iPhone and seeing where her credit cards were used. Eventually, she tracked the thief all the way to an Applebee’s.

When the thief entered the restaurant with her friends, Reno used a spare key to steal back her car and drive away. She even went live on Facebook to update her followers and tell them that she was about to call the police to arrest the woman who stole her car.

In a second video posted on Facebook, Reno filmed the police arresting the woman, who was playing dumb about the whole situation. She was actually holding Reno’s shoes, wallet and keys in her hands.

Like all good stories, this series of live Facebook videos is a trilogy. Reno posted a third video telling what happened in the end and who got arrested.

What would you do if your car was stolen? Does it surprise you that Reno was able to track down her car before the police could find it?